AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION—AUGUST 21, 2014—A whirlwind long weekend at Ruidoso Downs for the Grade 1 All American Futurity and Derby trials had an impact on the rankings in this week’s AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Polls. Both Kiss My Hocks (2-year-olds) and Houdini (3-year-olds and older) maintained their No. 1 posts after trial wins, even though the former failed to make the Futurity final.

Kiss My Hocks remained a solid No. 1-ranked juvenile nationally this week, following his Day 2 trial that fell just short of qualifying for the final. He landed as the second-fastest qualifier for the All American Juvenile Invitational while advancing his record to 6-for-7 lifetime.

Two faces from the list of Futurity finalists appeared in the poll this week. JM Miracle, who qualified during the first day of trials, re-entered the poll at No. 7. Bodacious Eagle posted a Day 2 qualifying time in the All American Futurity trials and joins the poll this week at No. 8. Both horses also contested the Grade 1 Ruidoso and Rainbow futurities. JM Miracle was second in the Ruidoso and eighth in the Rainbow, and Bodacious Eagle was third in the Ruidoso and fourth in the Rainbow.

Exquisite Stride, now 2-for-2 lifetime and the fastest qualifier for the All American Futurity, just missed the rankings this week as the leading vote-getter outside the Top 10. Note that Im A Fancy PYC, winner of the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity (RG3) and finalist in the Heritage Place Futurity (G1), was dropped from the rankings due to an injury that forced his retirement after his sensational qualifying All American Futurity trial run.

As for the older horses, Houdini qualified third-fastest for All American Derby (G1) while winning his trial over fellow qualifier Mon Ti Dash and Grade 1 winner Skuze Pleeze, and cemented his place atop the older horse rankings. Meanwhile, Nellie Delaney returned from a six-month layoff to win the Merial Los Alamitos Distaff Challenge (G3) and move up one spot to No. 2 this week. She had held down the No. 1 post much of the early season before inactivity dropped her down the list.

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 2-YEAR-OLDS

1. KISS MY HOCKS (107)
2. HEZA DASHA FIRE (97)
3. TRENDI (92)
4. LOVETHEWAYYOULIE (64)
5. PAINT ME PERRY (47)
6. OLD GIRL (44)
7. JM MIRACLE (36)
8. BODACIOUS EAGLE (31)
9. GAME (16)
10. DISCONTENT (11)

Exquisite Stride (10), Gotta Run Miss (6), PYB Place Your Bet (5), Eagle On The Fly (5), BV Travelin Soldier (5), Thunderball B (4), Hezadashinbye (4), Boi George (3), Count De Monet (3), Hemps Jumpn Lajolla (2), Apollitical Blood (2), Girlonthego (1).

NATIONAL RANKINGS, 3-YEAR-OLDS

1. HOUDINI (104)
2. NELLIE DELANEY (85)
3. BON ACCORD (84)
4. FAR NIENTE (71) vROCK YOU (52)
5. MOONIST (44)
6. VIVA MI CORAZON (43)
7. LLANO CARTEL (40)
8. JODY POPS ZOOMER (36)
9. ONE VALIANT HERO (9)

TF Featured Effort (8), Feature Mr Who (6), Dash Master Jess (5), This Dude Can Fly (4), Kates Dynasty (4), Her O Don Won (4), All Out Arrogant (2), Big Dashing Perry (2), Hes Relentless (2), Vodka With Ice (2).

The 11 voters are:
Ed Burgart (Los Alamitos announcer/handicapper), Martha Claussen (Q-Racing Ace, writer/handicapper), Mike Cusortelli (writer/handicapper), Tom Dawson (Q-Racing Ace, network television producer), Dale Day (Remington Park announcer/handicapper), Ben Hudson (TRACK Magazine Owner/Publisher), Mike Joyce (TVG analyst), Jeremy Plonk (Night School co-founder/host), Jerry Shottenkirk (Horseplayernow.com, handicapper/oddsmaker), Terry Turrell (Horseplayernow.com handicapper) and Ty Wyant (writer, Daily Racing Form and AQHA).

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